Airplane having a variable lifting surface



Nov. '8,- 1938.

n J. GERIN AIRPLANE HAVING A' VARIABLE LIFTING SURFACE Filed Nov. 15, 1935 Patented Nov. A8, 1938 UNITED srA-Tas ,PATENT orifice AIRPLANE HAVING A VARIABLE LIFTIN SURFACE Jacques Gerin, Boulogne-sur-Seine, France Application November 13, 1935, Serial No.. 49,613 In France November 17, 1934 1 c1a1m. (01.244-131 adapted to ensure the lifting of the airplane at '-high speeds and along which exible surfaces wound on operating drums can bev spread out.

n These surfaces allow to substitute for the fixed lifting surface, a surface the automatically varsiable curvature of which allows the airplane to be maintained lifted'when flying at low speed.

The airplane according to the invention comprises a single fuselage and is mainly characterized bythe fact that the transverse ribs or transverse'sections of this fuselage have a hori. zontal axis`the length of which constantly increases from the front end to the outer or trailing edge rof the empennage, whilst the vertical axes of the same transverse ribs vary for giving an aerodynamic profile (which is a non-lifting profile for Vthe line of flight adopted at high speed) symmetrical relatively to the longitudinal axis, the airscrews being arranged at the trailing edge of the empennage or rear portion of the fuselage.

The invention is further characterized by the fact that:

The intermediate portion of the fuselage contains the drums for actuating the movable ilexible surfaces and their driving and control mechanisms, as well as the fuel and oil tanks,the available space at the rear of the fuselage being used as engine room and as a cabin for the mechanics, and the available space at the front being reserved for the passengers and for the cockpit for the pilot, navigator and radiotelegraphist. l

The fixed cellules comprise four fixed narrow lifting planes adapted to ensure the lifting of the airplane at high speeds, and arranged per pair for constituting a biplane' when the movable flexible surfaces are spread out.

'I'he controls for changing the line of flight inf nthe horizontal plane are constituted by vertical rudders pivoted at the rear of tail-fins provided at the ends of the xed cellules.

'I'he stabilization and warping are ensured by the same aileronsV or wing flaps pivoted at the trailing edge and' at the ends of the widest rear portion of the fuselage, flaps for correcting the incidence being also provided on said trailing edge.

Other features of the invention will appear 5 from the following description which relates to a construction of an airplane illustrated, by way. of example only, in the accompanying drawing. in which:

Fig. 1 is a general Fig. 2 is a corresponding front view. Fig. 3 is a general side view. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic side view of a cellule. The single fuselage of the air plane is ay hollow plan view of the airplane. 10

body I comprising two planes of symmetry con-v .15

taining its longitudinal axis: a vertical plane and a horizontal plane. In a `section made through thehorizontal plane, the profile of the fuselage is of constantly increasing Width, asV clearly shown in Fig. 1. The rear end or tail has a very great width relatively to the total length of the fuselage. This width can reach to 90% of the length as in the constructionalexample illustrated.

In a section made through the the prole of the fuselage has an aerodynamic shape, the maximum cross section being situated slightly forward of the mid-length of the fuselage. The cross sections of the fuselage, from the front end, are ellipses or closed curves approximating, the latter and which are gradually flattened `so as to convert themselves into closed figures presenting two horizontal parallel sides united by arcs of circles. are shown at 2 and 3 (Fig. 2).

According to an important feature of the invention, practically the entire available space radiotelegraphist; this cockpit is separated from the passengers saloon by a Wall with entrance doors at 1 (Fig. 1).

vertical plane, 25

Two of these sections 35 reserved the 40 cockpit 5 lfor the pilots, the navigator and the The intermediate region of the fuselage con- 45 tains in particular:

The winding drums 8 for the flexible surfaces and all their driving and control mechanisms.

The fuel and 'pil tanks 9. In front of the space. for tanks 9 are provided lavatories for the passeng'ers and two chambers or enclosures I0 for undercarriages retractable during flight. The free space in the'tail, at the rear ofthe chamberfor the drums 8, constitutes an engine room,

the drums 8 and 50' With . logical conditions.

a cabin I I for one or more mechanics. The walls I2 of this cabin are so made as to deaden the noise of the engines and to allow the mechanics to support long journeys, in admissible physio- 4,In this cabin is provided a board on which are arranged all the indicating apparatus necessary for the control and supervision of the engines and their accessories. The mechanics are connected by telephone with the pilots cockpit. 'Iwo doors I3 allow to have access to the engines.

In the example illustrated, four engines are provided: two, I6 and I'I, longitudinally arranged, and two, I4 and I5, transversely arranged and coupled for driving two pairs of airscrews I 8 and I9, the airscrews of one and the same pair rotating in reverse direction and being driven by lines of c'o-axial tubular shafts 20 in the manner known per se.

In the zone of smallest height comprised between the shafts 20 is provided a room 2I for luggage or cargo. Access may b had to this room y2|! through doors or movable panels provided in the covering. At 22 are provided chambers or enclosures for undercarriages 23 retractable during flight.

As will be noted, this arrangement of the fuselage has, among others, the following advantages:

Practically, all the free space is utilized.

The passengers and pilots are far from the engines and, consequently, are not troubled by excessive noise.

The fuselage does not present any external projection capable Aof reducing penetration into air. For cooling the' engines, use is made of radiators 3I merging with the covering.

'I'he visibility for the pilots and even for the pissengersis not limited in any way by the cellu es.

As indicated above, the cellules each comprise four narrow lifting planes 24 grouped in pairs and constituting the stressed elements of a beam 'having transverse bracing. ribs constituted by rigid frames witlhstreamlined struts 25.

The fixed lifting elements or planes 24 are connected through the fuselage so as 'to constitute a single beam.

The exible surfaces are, spread out along the fixed planes 24 under the actionlof an engine. 26 arranged in the mechanics cabin and the control of which is effected from a board within reach of the pilot. The exible surfaces 21 having variable curv tures (Fig. 4) are utilized upon flying off and upon landing. During ight, the machine is lifted only by the narrow planes 24. In the example illustrated, the reduced lifting surface represents about one twelfth of the lifting surface. when the exible planes are spread ules. These rudders are pivoted on tail-fins 29 secured to the ends of the cellules. High sensiti-veness is thus obtained considering the distance of the rudders from the center of gravity of the airplane.

Two stabilizing or warping ailerons or wing flaps 30 are pivoted at both ends of the trailing edge of the fixed empennage constituted by the tail or rear portion of the fuselage. A control systemof any suitable arrangement allows:

Of actuating both aileronsI or wing flaps simultaneously in the same direction for causing them to act as stabilizers or as elevators.

Of actuating them simultaneously, in reverse direction, for allowing them to act as warping ailerons. They act in this case with a high sensitivness considering the width of the tail at the ends of which they are arranged.

Finally, iiaps 32 for correcting the incidence are also provided and pivoted on the trailing edge of the empennage, on either side of the posts 33 and between the latter.

If the airplane is to be used for military purposes, the space reserved for the passengers is adapted to receive bombs and turrets for machine-guns. Two gunners nacelles 34 can also be provided on the tail. It will be easily seen that a very large firing and visibility angle is available for gunners placed either at the front, or at the rear ofthe fuselage.

Considering the fuselage is divided. into three distinct zones, it can conveniently be constructed connected to the central portion in such a manner,

that it may be rapidly-released or dropped with a parachute which is normally folded in a housing of the central portion.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

In a heavy transport airplane,va fuselage having an increased width in the horizontal section from the front portion to the rear thereof, variable lifting means positioned intermediate of the ends of the fuselage comprising fixed supports extending laterally fromeach side of the fuselage and movable flexible material carried by said supports to provide Vthe wing structure, winding drums for moving the flexible material mounted within the fuselage adjacent the lateral extending supports, means for rotating the Adrums whereby the area of the lifting surfaces may be varied, the rear portion of the fuselage decreasing in vertical'section towards the rear end to' provide a wide compartment with relatively small height,

erally of each other withinv said compartment, and the forward portion of the fuselage in front of the lifting means providing a load-carrying compartment.

IJACQUES GERIN.

-a plurality of propelling motors arranged lat- 

